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(No Model.) 5 Sheets-Sheet 1.

' K. ALMEN.

PRINTING PRESS..

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K. ALMN.

PRINTING PRESS.

5 Shets-Sheet 2.

(No Model.)

No. 486,365'. Patenjteamv. 15,1892.

(No Model.) v 5Shee's-Sheet 4.

K. ALMEN.

PRINTING PRESS.

Patented Nov.15, 1892.

(No Model.) r 5 sheetssheet 5.

K. ALMN. PRINTING; PRESS.

No. 486,365. Patented Nov. 15,1892.

'Wizessem 15a/www:

16 QM A WZ' mm known Liberty press.

I UNITED STATES PATENT OFFICE.

KARL ALMEN, OF STOCKHOLM, SWEDEN, ASSIGNOR TO F. M. WEILERS LIBERTYMACHINE WORKS, OF BERLIN, GERMANY.

PRINTING-PRESS.

SPECIFICATION forming part of Letters Patent No. 486,365, dated November15, 1892.

Application led October 14. 1891. Serial No. 408,701. (No model.)Patented in Germany August 1, 1891, No. 62,547 in Belgium August 1,189], No. 95,871, and in Austria-Hungary November 23,l 1891, No. 36,742and No. 61,710.

To all whom, may concern:

Beit known that I, KARL ALMN, a subject of the King of Sweden andNorway, residing at Stockholm, Sweden, have invented certain new anduseful Improvements in Printing- Presses, (patented in Germany August l,1891, No. 62,547; in Belgium August 1, 1881, No; 95,871, and inAustria-Hungary November 23, 1891, No. 36,742 and No. 61,7105) and I dohereby declare the following to be a full, clear, and exact descriptionof the invention, such as will enable others skilled in the art to whichit appertains to make and use the same, reference being had to theaccompanying drawings, and to letters of reference marked thereon, whichform a part of this specification.

The invention relates to printing-presses, and particularly to deliverymechanism for that class of presses' in which the bed and platen have areciprocal motion, whereby the printed sheets are removed from betweensaid bed and platen and deposited upon the delivery-table; and my saidinvention has for its object the combination, with the flier, of thegrippers and mechanism for actuating these devices.

The invention has for its further object a construction whereby themovements ofv the flier are controlled by the movements'of the platenand bed, while the grippers are controlled by the movements of thel'lier.

To these ends the invention consists in the combination, with the flierof a printingpress, of gripper-s and mechanism for operating the iiierand grippers, as will now be fully desoribed,reference being had to theaccompanying drawings, in which I have illustrated my improvements asapplied to the Well- In said drawings, Figure 1 is a side elevation ofso much of a printing-press as is necessary to illustrate theapplication thereto of my invention, the iiier being shown in itsposition relatively to the platen and bed when an impression is about tobe taken and in dotted lines when the printed sheet is being or afterbeing delivered to the receiving-table. Fig. 2 is a vertical sectionthereof taken on a line between the platen and bed in front of theflier. Figs. 3, 4, and 5 are detail Views illustrating the relativepositions of the iiier and gripper on their return movement after havingdelivered a printed sheet. Fig. 6 is a detail top plan View, and Fig. 7a detail elevation of a portion of the flier-frame, and Fig. 8 is asectional elevation of the flier and a portion of one of theconnecting-rods and guide-standards.

Similar letters of reference indicate like parts wherever such may occurin the abovedescribed iigures of drawings.

In the drawingsIhave shown myinvention in its application to aWell-known construction of printing-press, the combined flier andgrippers being detachably connected with the platen and bed-pivot, Whilethe guides and part of the operating mechanism for the Hier and grippersare detachably connected with the frame of the pressand they are soconstructed as to be readily applied to any other construction ofprinting-press inf which the platen and bed have a reciprocal movement.

The guides for the Hier consist of two standardsBand O, whose upper endsare curved in the direction of the delivery-table P, which latter issupported from said standards and is detachably secured to itssupporting-arms z2 by means of a screw and thumb-nut y, Figs. l and 2,said supporting-arms z2 being bolted to the upper end of the standardsand suitably braced by means of brace-rods z', Fig. 1. One of thestandards-as, for instance, the standard B-is provided at its upper endwith a toothed sector c, and both standards have a guide-groovefextending the full length thereof, the standardO having an additionalguide-groove g,that does not extend the full length thereof. (See Figs.1, 2, and 8.)

The platen P and the bed BX are hinged or pivoted together at j in awell-known manner, the pivot-pins l being made sufficiently long toproject some distance from one side of the hinge-jointsj.

The flier FX consists of a rectangular frame composed of the side bars EE, secured to a cross-bar D, and the cross-bars F F', secured to theside barsE E, as shown in Fig. 2. The cross-bar F is of greater widththan the like bar F and serves as a bearing for the grippers M, whichare composed of spring-lingers lsecured to a shaft L, that has itsbearings in radial arms o, projecting from the cross-bar ICO D. Asp1'ingt,Figs. 2, 6, and 7, wound on said shaft L and having one of itsends secured thereto and the other to the cross-bar D, tends to turn theshaft in the direction of the Hier to keep the grippers M in contactwith the cross-bar F thereof. The cross-bar D, that supports the Hier,has a journal h at each end projecting into the groovefin the standardsB C and has mounted on said journals one end of a connecting-rod G andH, respectively, whose opposite ends are pivoted on the hinge or pivotpin lof the platen and bedarms of the press, as shown in Fig. 2. Theconnecting-rod G on the side of the standard B has a cam-shaped head G',(more clearly shown in Figs. 3,4, and 5 for purposes presently to beeXplained,) and said rods Gand H are braced together by a cross-bracelo, Fig. 2, ator near their lower end. It will bereadily understood thatthe rods G and H may be pivotally connected with the platen or bed atany other suitable point than the hinge-pin l; but this is the mostconvenient means of connection that I know of.

A pawl W, provided with a short arm w and a longer arm w, is pivoted ona pin w2 to one end of the cross-bar D. The free end of a flat spring o,secured to the back ofthe bar, has bearing on said pawl and tends tomaintain the same in a normal position. The gripper-shaft L has at itsend proximate to the standard B a crank-arm q, whose pin fr is adaptedto ride on the cam-head G of the connecting-rod G, as hereinafterexplained. The shaft L also carries a radial arm or tappet s, adapted tobe engaged by the short arm w on the pawl WV, said radial arm or tappetbeing formed on a collar adjustable on shaft L by means of a set-screw.Tha-t journal h of the cross-bar D which lies in the groove f ofstandard B carries a toothed segment N, that is adapted to gear with thetoothed sector c on said standard, while that journal h of saidcross-bar which lies in the groove f of the standard C carries a radialguide-arm K, the free end of which is provided with a pin fn, thatprojects into the shorter groove g of said standard C.

The operation of the described devices is as follows: Let it be supposedthat a printed sheet has just been dropped by the flier F onto table P,the Hier and gripper-s being in the relative positions shown in Figs. land 3 in dotted lines and full lines, respectively, and a fresh sheetlaid on the platen P", so as to overlap the outer or left-hand edgethereof. The connected arms of said platen P and of the bed B nowdescend, carrying the connecting-rods G and H, and consequently i theflier and the grippers connected therewith, along with them. The pin oon radial arm q of shaft L is now bearing on the camface of head G ofconnecting-rod G. The segment N is in gear with the sector c, while theshort arm w on cam W is out of engagement with the radial arm or lug son shaft L, which latter is held against the stress of its spring by thecam-head G in a position in which the gripper-fingers are held out ofengagement with their bearing-bar F of the flierframe. Finally, the pin'n on radial arm K is outofengagementwiththegrooveginstandard C. As theplaten and bed descend the segment N revolves on the sector c, and thepin r of crank q on shaft L rides over the cam-face of head G ofstandard G, the iiier F revolving simultaneously in the direction of thearrow, Figs. l and 3. inasmuch as the short arm w of pawl W is not inengagement with the radial arm or lug s on shaft L, said pawl under thestress of its spring lies in its normal position with said short arm infront of or below the radial arm son shaft L. (See Figs. 3 and 6.) Assoon, however, as the pin r of radial arm q on shaft L moves out ofcontact with the cam-face on head G of connectingrod G, during thefurther downward movement of the said rod and the rod H, the said radialarm s will bear upon the short arm w of pawl W, as shown in Fig. 4,thereby locking the grippers M against motion toward the flier under thestress of the springt, acting on the gripper-shaft L. As the segment Nrolls over the sector c, the tlier FX is turned from a horizontalposition in rear or to the right of the standards B C to anearly-vertical position in front or to the left of said standards, atwhich time the said segment N will have moved out of gear with thesector c, as shown in Fig. 5, and when this takes place the pin n on armK of cross-bar D will enter the groove g in standard C. During thefurther downward movement of the connecting-rods G and H the hier willmove in a vertical plane, being guided in the vertical portion of thcgrooves f and by the vertical groove g, and its movement is so timed asthat it will lie between the platen and bed of the press about the timethey come into parallelism for the taking of an impression, the hierbearing upon the sheet on the platen. At the moment the hier comes incontact with the platen and paper thereon the long arm -w of the pawl Wcomes in contact with the fixed abutment CZ, Figs. 2, 5, and 7, therebyturning the said pawl against the stress of its spring, Fig. '7,`

and moving the short arm w out of engagement with the radial arm or'tappet s on shaft L and releasing the same, said shaft being turnedunder the stress of its spring t to move the grippers M, which press andhold the paper to the cross-bar F of the flier, at or a little afterwhich the platen PX and bed BX are brought onto the intervening sheetand the impression is taken, the flier moving synchronously with saidplaten and bed.

Inasmuch as the movements of the flier are not only timed to themovements of the platen and bed, but correspond in speed therewith, adisplacement of the sheet on the platen after having been seized by thegrippers cannot take place. After the impression is taken the platen andbed move away from each other, the hier ascending vertically at the IOOIIC

IIS

same speed, thereby lifting the sheet gradually from the platen. Thisvertical movement of the flier continues until the segment N moves intoengagement with the sector c, at which moment the pin n on arm K ofcrossbar D moves ont of its shorter guide-groove g. As the flier isturned from left to right and from a vertical into a horizontal positionthe crank-pin r comes in contact with the camface on head G ofconnecting-rod G and rides along the same, and when the iiier is aboutto assume a horizontal position the shaft L will have been turnedsutciently by the action of said cam-face on the crank-pin to releasethe printed sheet, which drops onto table P.

As shown in Figs. l and 2, the standards B and C are detachably securedto the pressframe by means of bolts a and b, so that they can be readilyattached to or detached from the press.

Inasmuch as the iiier is connected directly to and is operated by thebed and platen, such operating mechanism as would otherwise be necessaryto actnate the iiier is dispensed with, so that the mechanism of thepress is not rendered more complex, and as the standards B and C andconnecting-rods G and H are readily connected with the frame of aprinting-press and the bcd or platen or the hinge-pin thereof mycombined flier and gripper may be properly considered as an attachmentfor printing-presses.

Having thus described my invention, what I claim as new therein7 anddesire to secure by Letters Patent, is

l. In a printing-press, the combinationfwith a reciprocally-movableplaten and bed, a flier provided with a gripper-bearing reciprocatingvertically between said platen and bed, a toothed segment connected withthe iiier, a crank-shaft having its bearing on the flier, gripperssecured to the crank-shaft, and a tension device operating on said shaftto hold the grippers in contact with their bearing, of a fixed toothedsector adapted to mesh with the like segment on the fiier and a fixedabutment inthe path of the crank of the grippershaft, operating tosuccessively impart a partial revolution to the flier and gripper-shaft,respectively, after said iiier has moved clear of the bed and platen,for the purpose set forth.

2. In a printing-press, the combination, with a reciprocally-movableplaten and bed, a liier reciprocating vertically between said platen andbed and having a bearing for the grippers, a toothed segment connectedwith said flier,a crank-shaft mounted on the Hier, grippers secured tothe crank-shaft, and a tension device operating on lthe shaft to holdthe grippers in contact with their bearing on the liier, of a fixedtoothed sector adapted to gear with the segmenton the Hier, a fixedabutment in the path of the crank-shaft, operating to successivelyimpart to said flier and shaft, respectively, a partial revolution, alocking device for locking the crank-shaft against returning to itsnormal position under the action of the tension device, and a releasingdevice for releasing said crank-shaft from the locking device, saidelements being timed in their operation to the movements of the platenvand bed, as and for the purpose set forth.

3. In a printing-press, the combination, with the bed and platen hingedtogether, as described, of a combined flier and gripper comprising arectangular frame D E F F ,having motion on and with the hinge-pin ofsaid bed and platen between the latter and having bearing on and motionwith the platen when the latter is in a given position, a rock-shaftconnected with the frame at its upper end, gripper-lingers secured tosaid shaft, actuating devices operating to hold the fingers in contactwith the upper cross-bar of the frame, to move said fingers out ofcontact therewith as said frame comes in contact with the platen, andagain return said ingers to seize Vthe sheet to be printed, said framemoving upwardly with the hinge-pin after the impression is made, andmechanism for tilting said frameand moving the gripper-fingers torelease the printed sheet, as set forth.

4:. In a printing-press, the combination, with the bed and platen hingedtogether, as described, of a flier consisting, essentially, of arectangular frame, the connecting-rods G and H, connecting the flierwith the hinge-pin of the bed and platen, said connecting-rod G having acam-head G', the spring-actuated rock-shaft L, provided withgripper-fingers and mounted at the upper end of the flier, saidrock-shaft having a crank adapted to be engaged by said cam-head to movesaid shaft against the stress of its spring, and means for tilting theiiier in one direction when about to reach the limit of its upwardmovement and in a reverse direction at the beginning of its downwardmovement, for the purpose set forth.

5. In a printing-press, the combination, with the bed and platen hingedtogether as described, of a flier consisting, essentially, of arectangular frame, the connecting-rods G and H, connecting the flierwith the hinge-pin of the bed and platen, said rod G having a camheadG', a spring-actuated pawl pivotally connected to the upper cross-bar ofthe flier, the rock-shaft L, provided with gripper-fingers, mounted onthe flier near said upper crossbar and carrying a crank q r, adapted tobe engaged by the cam-head G and by the pawl when said flier moves inopposite directions, a releasing device for releasing the crank fromengagement with the pawl, and means for tilting the flier in onedirection as it is about to reach the limit of its upward motion and ina reverse direction at the beginning of its downward motion, for thepurpose set forth.

6. I11aprinting-press,the combination,with the bed and platen hingedtogether as described, of a iiier consisting of the frame D E F F', theconnecting-rods G and H, connect- IOO IIO

ing the flier with thehingepin of the bed and platen, said rod G havinga cam-head G', a spring-actuated pawl pivotally connected to the uppercross-bar of the flier and provided with an arm w, the rock-shaft L,mounted on the flier near said upper cross-bar, said shaft carryinggripper-fingers M and a crank q1, adapted to be engaged by the cam-headG' and by the pawl when said flier moves in opposite directions, a fixedabutment in the path of the arm w of the pawl,and gearing adapted totilt the fiierin one direction as it is about to reach the limit of itsupward movement and in a reverse direction at the beginning of itsdownward movement, for the purpose set forth.

'7. An attachment for printing-presses, having a reciprocally-movableplaten and bed consisting of a flier FX, composed of the supportingbarD, provided with journals h, the toothed segment N and guide-arm K onsaid journals, the side bars E and the cross-bars F F', a gripper forclamping the Work to the flier, releasing devices for releasing the workfrom the gripper, the connecting-rods G and H, said rod Ghaving thecam-shaped head G for operating the releasing devices, the standard B,provided with guide groove f and toothed sector c, and the standard C,provided with guide-grooves f and g, said parts being arranged foroperation substantially as and for the purpose set forth.

8. An attachment for printing-presses, having a reciprocally-movableplaten and bed consisting of the flier FX, com posed of thesupportingbar D, provided with journals h, the toothed segment N andguide-arm K on said journals, the side bars E and the cross-bars F F',the spring-actuated pawl WT, provided with the short arm w' and the longarm w, connected with the bar D, the spring-actuated gripper-shaft L,having crank q r and tappet s, the connecting-rods G and H, said rod Ghaving the cam-shaped head G', the standard B, provided withguide-groove f and toothed sector c, and the standard C, provided withguide-grooves f and g, said parts being arranged for operationsubstantially as and for the purpose set forth.

KARL ALMN. Witnesses:

K. S. ZIMMERMAN,

llferchcmt. AUGUST NILssoN,

Book-keeper.

